This easy, yet fresh and flavorful recipe for Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup is sure to become a favorite. Featuring sweet roasted tomatoes, garlic, red onion, and a smooth and creamy texture, this delicious soup is the perfect way to celebrate tomato season!
Whether you're overloaded with cherry tomatoes from your backyard vegetable garden, or couldn't turn down a stellar deal at the Farmers market, this recipe is the perfect way to use them!
Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in these grape-sized beauties, and blending them into a smooth sauce makes for a refreshing, yet satisfying end-of-Summer soup. Finished with broth, a touch of cream (optional), and a sprinkling of fresh basil, this homemade tomato soup is as simple as it is delicious.
I've tested this recipe multiple times this Summer - after each flush of my many tomato plants. My husband - who has declared it the "best tomato soup ever" - has not yet grown tired of it, which is how I knew I just had to share it here with you!
Pair it with melty grilled cheese sandwiches, grilled chicken breasts, or pan-fried salmon fillets for a complete meal - or serve it alone for a light lunch. My favorite way to enjoy it is with some cheese and crackers, and a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
You Will Need
- Tomatoes: I recommend using fresh cherry tomatoes (also known as grape tomatoes) for roasting, as their thin skins and minimal seeds makes for a smooth soup with zero prep. If desired, you can use full-sized tomatoes than have been skinned, cored, seeded, and chopped.
- Olive oil: A little olive oil adds flavor, and helps the tomatoes, onion, and garlic roast without burning.
- Garlic: You will need about 10 cloves of garlic. I like to peel mine first, but you could roast an entire head and squeeze out the cloves after if you prefer.
- Red onion (or shallot): Peeled and quartered - easy peasy!
- Basil: Fresh herbs are always a nice touch, and nothing pairs better with tomato than fresh basil leaves!
- Broth: Either chicken broth or vegetable broth is fine for this recipe. You could even use water in a pinch.
- Salt & Pepper: Season the veggies well with both salt and pepper. I highly recommend a good quality flaky salt like Maldon, but any kind will do. Be sure to taste the soup and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Parmesan (for garnish; optional)
Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.
How to Make Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup
With just a handful of simple ingredients, and 35 minutes of letting the oven work its magic, you can enjoy a delicious and creamy roasted tomato soup - with just a little effort on your part.
- Prep the tomatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes to a medium baking dish (9X9" or 7.5X10" works great), and pour in ¼ cup of olive oil. Stir well to coat the tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper. Finally, add 10 peeled garlic cloves and 1 red onion, peeled and sliced into quarters.
- Roast. Place in an oven that has been preheated to 425ºF (218ºC) and roast for 35 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes begin to blister. For extra flavor, switch the oven to "broil" and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, watching it closely to ensure it doesn't burn.
- Puree. Transfer the roasted tomatoes, garlic, red onion, and all of the juices to a large and deep bowl or saucepan. Puree using an immersion blender.
- Note: If you don't have an immersion blender, you can cool the soup and puree it in a blender or food processor - but hot foods should not be added to either of these appliances. Alternatively, you could process it in a food mill using the "coarse" blade.
- Add broth (and cream). Add the pureed tomatoes to a medium saucepan and add in 1 cup of chicken broth (or vegetable broth) and ⅓ cup of heavy cream (optional; for a creamy soup). Stir together and warm over medium heat until steamy; adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
- Finish with basil. Sprinkle in ⅓ cup of chopped fresh basil, and stir it in gently. Serve immediately, and garnish with fresh cracked black pepper and grated parmesan cheese (if desired).
Storing Leftovers
- Transfer leftover soup to an airtight container.
- Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or stovetop until heated throughout.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Can you freeze tomato soup?
Tomato soup can be frozen, and since it contains minimal dairy it actually freezes very well with little separation!
- Allow the soup to cool completely, or chill in the refrigerator first.
- Transfer to freezer-safe containers or silicone trays (like Souper Cubes).
- Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat from frozen (or thawed) in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Expert Tips
- One Pot. If desired, you can roast everything in a Dutch oven, then puree and prepare the finished soup in the same pot. This makes for an easier clean-up and the results are exactly the same!
- Season to taste. It's really important to taste your soup and add salt and pepper according to your preference. If you find the flavor "flat" - definitely add a bit more salt and keep tasting until it's perfect. If you want to add a little kick, try a few pinches of red pepper flakes.
- Use bougie salt. A good sea salt works perfectly fine for this recipe, but I really love the flavor of flaky salt like Maldon. It truly makes a difference - so if you have some, now's the time to break it out. And if you don't have any? Definitely consider picking some up as a special treat.
- Fresh ingredients. This creamy tomato soup gets its flavor from fresh ingredients like cherry tomatoes, basil, and roasted garlic. Use the best quality you can find, and in-season if possible. Garden-fresh outperformed the grocery store, so definitely seek out a Farmers market if you have the opportunity.
Substitutions
Regular tomatoes: This recipe can be made with regular tomatoes, but I recommend slicing them into 1 ½" chunks. Select varieties that have a low amount of seeds, or remove the seeds before slicing and measuring. Paste tomatoes like Roma, San Marzano, or Amish Paste are great options. Blanch to remove the peels if desired, or strain them from the soup.
No cream: If you prefer, this recipe can easily be made without cream. Just leave it out - it's still delicious!
Vegan and dairy free: Swap the chicken broth for your favorite vegetable broth, and omit the heavy cream. If you still want a creamy soup you can use canned coconut milk or blended white beans in its place.
Larger batch: As written, this recipe makes a fairly small batch and works great for a light lunch or a side soup. If you want to make this for a family or to have enough leftover to freeze, I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe. Larger batches can be made in a 9X13" baking dish.
Without a stick blender: While an immersion blender makes easy work of blending hot liquids, not everyone has one! If that's the case, you can cool the soup to room temperature, then blend it in a blender or food processor. Then pour it into a saucepan and heat it along with the broth and heavy cream until warmed throughout.
Variation: Roasted Tomato Pasta
I also tested this recipe as a pasta sauce and it was delish!
Instead of adding the chicken broth, I added 2-3 tablespoons of reserved pasta water and tossed it with cooked pasta (8 ounces dry). We added plenty of grated parmesan cheese and it was truly delicious!
More Recipes That Use Cherry Tomatoes:
If you loved this cherry tomato soup recipe, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes about 4 ⅓ cups
- 1 small red onion quartered
- 10 cloves garlic peeled
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt (more to taste) flaky salt recommended
- Freshly cracked pepper to taste (generous)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- Grated parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC) and wash and dry your cherry tomatoes thoroughly.
- Place the tomatoes in a medium baking dish (9x9” or 7.5x10.5”) or a Dutch oven.
- Drizzle in the olive oil, and season with the salt (1 ½ teaspoons) and pepper (to taste). Toss well to coat.
- Place the quartered onion and peeled garlic cloves evenly throughout the dish, wedging them under the tomatoes.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the skins begin to blister. If desired, switch the oven to “broil” for 2-3 minutes for added flavor - but watch it closely to ensure it does not burn!
- Remove from the oven and transfer the vegetables (and liquid) to a deep saucepan or heatproof bowl. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
- Note: If you don’t have an immersion blender, cool the vegetables to room temperature, then blend until smooth in a food processor or blender.
- Add the broth and heavy cream to the blended tomato mixture, and stir well. Heat over medium heat until warmed through, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the fresh basil, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve and enjoy! Try it garnished with a generous grating of parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano.
Notes
Nutrition
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